I have a conundrum that I'd like to throw at the list as I've been pondering this situation for a couple of weeks and don't seem to be able to get my head around it. Maybe someone with local knowledge will be able to see a connection and help me make sense of what I have gleaned so far. Everyone has been so helpful in the past and even the smallest hints and pointers have enabled me to get so far down this rather addictive road! I received recently the (elusive) 1849 marriage certificate for William TUCKER (no dob) and Rhoda LAMBRETT (born c 1830 from later census), both born in Newport IOW although the marriage took place in Waterloo, Lambeth. On it, Rhoda states that her father was James LAMBRETT and that he was a Brewer. The marriage was witnessed by a Martha LAMBRETT. I can find no record of James, but find in Pigots Hampshire directory for 1841and 1842, Martha is listed at the Wag(g)on & Horses, Crocker Street, Newport. There is also a Ben MEW listed on Crocker Street, as a Brewer and Maltster in the same publication for the same years. A search on A2A turned up the following reference from the MEW family of Newport, Brewers, dated May 16, 1837: 'Deed for securing £300 and interest [from scope and content] Secured on four messuages, two on the north side of Crocker Street and two on the west side of Holyrood Street, Newport, all lying together in the several occupations of William Cook, James LAMBRETT, Henry Brown and Charles Fowler as tenants.' My thinking is perhaps that James and Martha are Rhoda's parents and they were in occupation at the Wagon & Horses as Tenants of the Mew Brewery, but I would dearly love to find some confirmation as I'd hate to go off at a tangent and end up barking up someone else's family tree! Just to add a little spice to the story, Rhoda and William had a son, William Alfred, in 1845 - when Rhoda was only 15 years old if later census entries are to be believed, and four years before they were married! On his birth certificate, both William and Rhoda TUCKER (the latter was referred to as 'formerly LAMBRETT' although they were definitely not wed at the time of his birth) gave Crocker Street, Newport, as their address. Perhaps William was already married at the time of their son's conception, or perhaps they waited four years for Rhoda to be less a child herself but her age was listed as 'full' on the wedding certificate? Pre civil registration, how easy was it to lie about your age when you wed? I have found no trace of Martha or James on Family Search, Ancestry, Free BMD, 1871, '81 '91 or 1901 censuses nor have I found a death for either of them. A soundex search returned over 137,000 possibilities with more common names like Lambert, Lambeth etc., included in the result which is a little daunting to say the least. I have found several other LAMBRETTs on the island through the IOW FHS BMDs but most of these seem to have come from a marriage in 1845 between a William LAMBRETT and Jane Marshall. (Children William and John b. 1847, Emma Jane b. 1848, Jessy b.1850, another William b. 1852 - so presume the first William died in infancy - and James b. 1854.) In addition to the above and from the same source, there was a George LAMBRETT b Newport in 1843 with the mother's name listed as ADAMS. George seems to have moved to the mainland in later census (Gravesend in Kent) married and had three daughters - one of whom he called Rhoda! Angela McMurtry was kind enough to find my Rhoda living in Southampton as a stray in the 1851 census. Apparantly now widowed by William's death, she listed herself as a 'retired publican' although I can't find her anywhere as a publican in the first place! (The Pubs Index site is having some difficulty lately) and Ancestry has yet to transcribe the 1871 for Hampshire. For those of you who have stuck with my tome and read down this far, I thank you for your tenacity! I'm open to all theories, conjecture, wild guesses and stabs in the dark - as I'm beginning to think I can't see the wood for the trees! If anyone local knows of any records of the Mew Brewery, or has any information on the Wagon and Horses on Crocker Street, or just wants to have a go at stringing the above together, I would really welcome your views. Many thanks in advance - just for being there and sharing the same passion for this stuff (because no-one else in my household understands it at all!) Julie

Julie I can't help much but I recall there is a book on Newport pubs (of which there were once many). Its possible that this may have a snippet of information that may help. Someone on the list may have a copy they could refer to. Jon Baker -----Original Message----- From: Julie [mailto:julie.blissett1@ntlworld.com] Sent: 09 September 2004 00:03 To: ISLE-OF-WIGHT-L@rootsweb.com Subject: LAMBRETT in Newport I have a conundrum that I'd like to throw at the list as I've been pondering this situation for a couple of weeks and don't seem to be able to get my head around it. Maybe someone with local knowledge will be able to see a connection and help me make sense of what I have gleaned so far. Everyone has been so helpful in the past and even the smallest hints and pointers have enabled me to get so far down this rather addictive road! I received recently the (elusive) 1849 marriage certificate for William TUCKER (no dob) and Rhoda LAMBRETT (born c 1830 from later census), both born in Newport IOW although the marriage took place in Waterloo, Lambeth. On it, Rhoda states that her father was James LAMBRETT and that he was a Brewer. The marriage was witnessed by a Martha LAMBRETT. I can find no record of James, but find in Pigots Hampshire directory for 1841and 1842, Martha is listed at the Wag(g)on & Horses, Crocker Street, Newport. There is also a Ben MEW listed on Crocker Street, as a Brewer and Maltster in the same publication for the same years. A search on A2A turned up the following reference from the MEW family of Newport, Brewers, dated May 16, 1837: 'Deed for securing £300 and interest [from scope and content] Secured on four messuages, two on the north side of Crocker Street and two on the west side of Holyrood Street, Newport, all lying together in the several occupations of William Cook, James LAMBRETT, Henry Brown and Charles Fowler as tenants.' My thinking is perhaps that James and Martha are Rhoda's parents and they were in occupation at the Wagon & Horses as Tenants of the Mew Brewery, but I would dearly love to find some confirmation as I'd hate to go off at a tangent and end up barking up someone else's family tree! Just to add a little spice to the story, Rhoda and William had a son, William Alfred, in 1845 - when Rhoda was only 15 years old if later census entries are to be believed, and four years before they were married! On his birth certificate, both William and Rhoda TUCKER (the latter was referred to as 'formerly LAMBRETT' although they were definitely not wed at the time of his birth) gave Crocker Street, Newport, as their address. Perhaps William was already married at the time of their son's conception, or perhaps they waited four years for Rhoda to be less a child herself but her age was listed as 'full' on the wedding certificate? Pre civil registration, how easy was it to lie about your age when you wed? I have found no trace of Martha or James on Family Search, Ancestry, Free BMD, 1871, '81 '91 or 1901 censuses nor have I found a death for either of them. A soundex search returned over 137,000 possibilities with more common names like Lambert, Lambeth etc., included in the result which is a little daunting to say the least. I have found several other LAMBRETTs on the island through the IOW FHS BMDs but most of these seem to have come from a marriage in 1845 between a William LAMBRETT and Jane Marshall. (Children William and John b. 1847, Emma Jane b. 1848, Jessy b.1850, another William b. 1852 - so presume the first William died in infancy - and James b. 1854.) In addition to the above and from the same source, there was a George LAMBRETT b Newport in 1843 with the mother's name listed as ADAMS. George seems to have moved to the mainland in later census (Gravesend in Kent) married and had three daughters - one of whom he called Rhoda! Angela McMurtry was kind enough to find my Rhoda living in Southampton as a stray in the 1851 census. Apparantly now widowed by William's death, she listed herself as a 'retired publican' although I can't find her anywhere as a publican in the first place! (The Pubs Index site is having some difficulty lately) and Ancestry has yet to transcribe the 1871 for Hampshire. For those of you who have stuck with my tome and read down this far, I thank you for your tenacity! I'm open to all theories, conjecture, wild guesses and stabs in the dark - as I'm beginning to think I can't see the wood for the trees! If anyone local knows of any records of the Mew Brewery, or has any information on the Wagon and Horses on Crocker Street, or just wants to have a go at stringing the above together, I would really welcome your views. Many thanks in advance - just for being there and sharing the same passion for this stuff (because no-one else in my household understands it at all!) Julie ______________________________